Hubble celebrates 35 years with stunning new cosmic images
NASA has unveiled four new images of the cosmos, featuring Mars, two nebulae, and a distant spiral galaxy. These images were captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, launched into space by the space shuttle Discovery in 1990.
The Hubble Space Telescope, which has been offering breathtaking views of the cosmos for 35 years, has shared four new images to celebrate its anniversary. Among these are photos of Mars and a distant galaxy, continuing the tradition of NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute, which annually release images to commemorate the Hubble's launch on April 24, 1990.
What images did Hubble present?
The images of Mars, taken at the end of December, showcase the bright orange Tharsis plateau with dormant volcanoes, the northern ice cap, and delicate clouds of water ice. Another image captures a section of the Rosette Nebula, a massive star-forming region situated about 5,680 light-years from Earth. Dark clouds of gas and dust create distinct silhouettes.
In January, the Hubble captured the planetary nebula NGC 2899, resembling a cosmic butterfly, located 4,920 light-years away. The colourful clouds of dust and gas have been shaped by radiation and stellar winds. In March, the telescope recorded a new view of the spiral galaxy NGC 5335, revealing a bar-shaped structure that directs gas to the core, aiding in the formation of new stars.
what's next for future missions?
The Hubble Telescope, despite operating for 35 years, continues to provide valuable data, although it has encountered periodic technical issues in recent years. Scientists are increasingly focusing on the James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, which has seven times the light-gathering capability of Hubble. Webb observes the universe predominantly in infrared, while Hubble offers a wide spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet.
In the future, NASA plans to launch the Habitable Worlds Observatory, which will explore the universe in visible and ultraviolet light, offering images much sharper than those of Hubble. This mission aims to identify potentially habitable Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars. The observatory will also be designed for robotic servicing, with its launch planned for the 2040s.
